Lost Prospectors
This could have been the second release to feature Gus Goose. Drawing on
Donald's image as a loser, Barks gave Gus the ability to capture precious
water effortlessly, while Donald's attempts to get a drink were frustrated.
The duck's every effort to tame the spring would only backfire, sending
another spout of water into Gus' lucky derby hat. Thus Gus remained a
comic foil to the unfortunate Donald, but without the eating gags. Story
conference transcripts reveal that Disney did not pursue it because he felt
Gus departed too far from his personality in
«Donald's Cousin Gus», already in
production or possibly completed, and because the gags with the giggling
springs were not clearly thought out.
A mirage sequence drawn by Barks probably shows the first true prototype of
Daisy Duck. Donald sees a group of Daisy
lookalikes lolling seductively around a swimming pool, drinking mint juleps.
All have the curved eyelashes, pert hair-ribbon, and high-heeled shoes that
would later characterize Daisy, and one is even manipulative and huffy,
anticipating her personality. Unlike Daisy, however, the girl in
«Lost Prospectors» is a seductress, beckoning flirtaciously and
tantalizing Donald by mixing a drink in front of him. When he tries to reach
her, she laughs, and the mirage disappears. Whether the storymen consciously
drew on this character when creating Daisy is moot; the visual similarities
suggest that Barks' Lorelei inspired Daisy's costume and look, and since
Barks worked on the first Daisy cartoon,
«Mr. Duck Steps Out», he certainly
had a hand in shaping her personality.
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| Generated by DVEGEN 4.8b on 2012-11-24 |
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